


After Everything

by RoesQueen



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: AU, F/M, Heartbreak, Romance, new life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2019-08-11 15:59:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16478576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoesQueen/pseuds/RoesQueen
Summary: Hermione finally has had enough, her life has been stagnating since the war ended 5 years ago. She couldn’t keep living a lie, it was time for a change of scenery, a change of life. She had become a potions mistress after the war ended, but never put it to use. Now she could.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just know, anything Harry Potter isn’t mine and I’m poor and don’t make any money off this

She stood there watching him pack, she knew this had to be the last time they did this, she couldn’t keep forgiving him for breaking his promises, it hurt too much every time he promised that they would tell the family, and she couldn’t take it anymore, not when she loved him so much. She watched as he turned around, making sure he didn’t forget anything. She tried to speak, to explain how she felt, how she felt she was suffocating after everything. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the ground.  
“Charlie, I can’t keep doing this, you keep promising me that you want a relationship, that you want me, but you always leave, you always have some reason as to why we shouldn’t tell your family, what point is there anymore?” She watched as he looked at her surprised, “Mione, what do you mean you can’t do this?”  
She looked up at him and smiled sadly. “You keep breaking your promises, telling me it’s not time, that you aren’t ready to commit, I can’t keep doing this, it’s been over a year now, I need to move on, because it breaks my heart every time we talk about this, about us. It’s not working anymore, you won’t even agree to be exclusive with me, how is that supposed to make me feel?” She turned away from him and walked to her bag. “This is goodbye Charlie, I’m sorry but I can’t do this.”  
“Mione wait! Please don’t do this, we work so well together, I don’t know what I would do without you!” Hoisting her bag onto her shoulder she took a deep breath, before she could speak she heard him whisper, “You can’t go, I love you.” Turning to face him she looked him in the eye, “You only love the idea of us, of me, I can’t let you break my heart again.” Before he could speak she apparated out of the hotel room they had gotten, and went to her house, to write a note and pack a few more things before leaving for the last time. Staying in the UK after the war had been a mistake, all it had done was keep her from finding happiness, the only thing that had kept her was Harry, then it was Charlie, and now that she had ended that, she had to leave, she was dying here, everything was slowly closing in on her and she needed a break away from everyone and everything.  
Writing a letter to her boss Kingsley and one to Harry, she sent them out with her owl Chiron. “Come find me in New Zealand okay?” She grabbed her passport and went to the airport, she had a one way ticket planned for Australia bought last week when she had decided to end things with Charlie, then she planned to travel around before landing in New Zealand. Looking around one last time, she realized how much she missed Crookshanks, who hadn’t come back after the war. She decided to just leave, before anyone could find her, “Time to get this show on the road.” Turning in place she left, ready for her new start on life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But of help with thoughts and such  
> ‘With something’ = thoughts  
> “ with something” equals conversation

Hermione took a deep breath as she stepped out of the airport. She had gone the muggle way, doing her best to leave no trace of her trip, changing her features with glamours and used confounded documents to get on the plane. It had been a long trip, and was definitely worth it to arrive in Oamaru. She felt like a weight had dropped off her chest once the plane hit the ground.

‘First a hotel room, then a flat and a job. Maybe at a bookstore, or apothecary.’ Getting into an idle cab she had them take her to a hotel, the closest one to the airport that wasn’t run down. After checking in she looked around the room, it was a small one, just a bed room and bathroom but perfect for what she needed. Deciding to take a shower before bed, she grabbed her pajamas for afterwards, almost reveling in the hot water. After changing she charmed her hair dry and finished getting ready to sleep. Almost as soon as she laid down she was fast asleep.

The next morning after she woke up and got dressed, she asked the concierge if he knew of any libraries around she could use the Internet. Over the years she had fallen behind muggle technology but the last few years had helped her catch up. After getting the directions she set out, needing to find a flat first, then the wizarding district so she could see if any job openings were around. After finding the library she hopped on the public computer and quickly found a few small flats that were cheap, and quickly set up a time to view them the next day. Afterwards she went wandering around, following the pull of her magic, and after a wandless notice me not charm, she used point me to find the entrance to the Wizarding district. After charming her features slightly she headed in, slipping in with a group of wizards and witches who were entering the area.

After getting in she looked around at the shops and stalls, completely in awe of magic, it was like a huge market, with stall owners calling out to the passerby’s, trying to entice them over to look at their wares. She looked around the area, glancing over the storefronts and stalls, looking for something to pique her interest, and found a bookstore tucked away from the main area. She walked in and breathed in the smell of old books, ink, and magic, feeling like she was home. A cough startled her, and she looked up, surprised to see someone with how quiet it was.  
“How can I help ya miss?” An older man asked, his voice deep and rough, like he drank firewhiskey as if it was water.  
“I was wondering if you were looking for help? I just moved to the area and I’m looking for work.” The man smiled at her, and nodded, “I am looking for help, obviously,” he guestured to himself. “I’m getting on in years and I’m not able to handle the store like I used to. Tell me about yourself and I can see what I can do for you.”

Hermione looked around nervously. “Is there anyone in the store? And if not could you lock it down for a bit?” The older man looked confused but nodded and with a flick of his wand and a few muttered words, slammed a half dozen wards down. She felt the magic wash over her and looked at him curiously. “Old man my arse.” She muttered, causing the man to laugh, startling her.  
“I may be old but I have a bit of fight still in me. This store is my world, these books are older than us combined, to protect it I have to have the best defenses possible.” Nodding at his comment, while blushing at the fact he had heard her comment she looked up. Waving her wand and canceling her glamours she looked at him cautiously. “I’m Hermione Granger and I just moved from London, I needed an escape, and this was the best opportunity I was going to find to get out. I’d rather people not know who I am, hence the glamour. I’d use it if I worked here, and go by Hera. Books are my life, and I’d love to work surrounded by old ones, especially if I was allowed to read them.” She took a deep breath, having said everything in almost one, trying to get everything out before she freezed up. She looked down as the man made a humming noise, and when she finally pulled her eyes back to him, he smiled and nodded at her.

“Well you can have the job Miss Herm- Hera, to help with your story would you like to take my wife’s maiden name? We can say you’re my niece who’s come to help me out. There’s an unused flat above the store you can have too if you’d like.” She looked at him in shock, surprised he was offering the job never mind helping her hide her identity. “Oh yes I would love that. Thank you so much I won’t let you down!” She smiled brightly at him, thankful her first stop left her with a job and a home. “Go and pack your stuff up and come back tomorrow, you can move in and start the day after okay?” She nodded, and reapplied the glamours and left the store after thanking him again, and apologizing and getting his name. “The names Zachariah Delour, and my wife’s last name is Roes. See you tomorrow Hera Roes.” She smiled again and waved as she left, hurrying back to the hotel to notify them she was leaving tomorrow, and to grab what she had left at the hotel. She flopped onto her bed, ‘Things might be loooking up for once.’

—————————

Harry paced around his home office, pissed of at Charlie. He was probably the only one who knew about their “relationship” and had gotten Hermione’s owl stating she had ended it, and she was leaving England, a few hours ago. As he paced around wondering what he would do, he heard Ginny shouting for him. After he ran down the stairs he saw Ginny with a very drunk Charlie collapsed on the couch.  
“What the fuck?! It’s 3 in the afternoon and you’re pissed!” Ginny shouted at Charlie, “Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be in Romania?” Charlie snorted, then clutched his head. “I fucked up, I lost my Dragoness.” Harry stood there observing from the doorway. “Dragoness? What do you mean lost your Dragoness?” Ginny asked, looking confused. Charlie looked at her, looking heartbroken. “I lost Hermione,” He whispered, “I fucked up and I lost her. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

Harry stalked into the room at that, looking disgustedly at Charlie and handed him a Sober Up potion. After he downed it Harry looked at him. “You say she’s the best thing that’s happened to you yet you kept pushing her off to tell the family, didn’t want your precious secret spilled, just wanted your illicit hotel rendezvous and secret shags at family gatherings! This is your fault, it’s your fault she left! You should be heartbroken.” Harry stopped, he had raised his hand like he was going to hit Charlie and stepped away. Ginny looked between the two of them and then focused on Harry. “You knew they were together? Why didn’t you tell me.” Sighing he looked at her. “Me and Mione don’t keep any secrets from each other Ginny, but we keep each other’s secrets. You knew that, you know that. It wasn’t my secret to tell.” Ginny pinched her brow and huffed. Turning she focused on Charlie. “Why did you keep it a secret? You know mom would of loved to have Hermione as part of the family, she would of loved the fact you finally found someone! Why hide it? If you knew Hermione in even the smallest way, you would of known she would get tired of being your dirty little secret. She’s probably been done for so long cutting it off and ditching everyone would be the only way to escape. I can’t even stand to look at you. Either go home to Romania or go to the Burrow.” Charlie started to sob, and looked at Ginny desperately. “Please, I have another week left, let me stay here, I won’t even be noticeable, I just can’t face either option right now.” Ginny looked at Harry pleadingly, she needed him to make the decision of course, because she couldn’t turn her brother away. “You can stay in the Guest Shack behind the house. It’ll be warded for alcohol and won’t let you in if you’re drunk. This isn’t a drink yourself dead week. Get yourself together and go.” Charlie nodded and got up, shuffling to the back foot as Harry followed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m glad so far you guys have liked it!! If there’s anything you’d like to see, drop me a line (even if it’s a one shot) and I’ll see what I can do!

Hermione looked at the hotel room the next day, making sure she had everything before leaving the room to start her first day at work. After turning in her keys, she found a nearby Apparation point and apparated close to the store, her glamour already applied. Opening the door she noticed a customer already in and Zachariah sitting behind the counter.

“Go on upstairs, the wards are set to allow you in and you can add your own to secure it more thoroughly. Come down about noon and I’ll show you the books and explain about pricing and benefits.” Nodding, she wished him good morning and quickly found the stairs and felt the wards almost welcome her, like an old friend, she sighed, reveling in the feeling of safety she felt. She heard him call out to her, “And if you’re a fast learner maybe I’ll teach you a bit about wards later.” She looked at him surprised, and grinned at him. “Got it!” After climbing the spiral stairs she unlocked the door and walked in. The living room was spacious and open with bookshelves surrounding 3 of the walls and the fourth a huge window with a seat and some cushions. There was a door off to the side in between the shelves that lead to a kitchen and a hallway with two bedrooms, one that would end up being a study or potions lab and the master with a bathroom in between. The master room had a bathroom with a tub that was the size of a small pool, with runes ingraved along the edges. Looking around the bedroom further showed more bookshelves and a smaller window seat, with a small closet and a set of drawers. She upacked some of her clothes and set her boxes of books off to the side for when she had more time to unpack them. She went to the living room and set up her owls things, and charmed the window in there to let him in when he found her. And set the window to take any tracking charms off. After finishing that up she set to warding the place against apparation and locating, as well as ill intent. She set a few specialized notification charms to let her know the status of the wards, and tied a few into her bosses wards. She looked at her wristwatch, which she had charmed to work around magic and noticed that it was close to noon. She grabbed a box full of kitchen things and made her way in there to unpack a few things and make tea for her and her boss.

As she waited for the kettle to boil she made a few sandwiches and grabbed a tray to bring everything down. A few minutes to noon she arrived downstairs and maneuvered through the shelves to set the tray down on the desk Zachariah was at. “I brought down some food and tea for the both of us, how do you take yours?” He smiled at her and nodded in thanks. “One sugar no milk please.” As she prepared their tea she handed him a plate with a few sandwiches and set the tea beside him. They ate in silence, and when done she banished everything to the sink upstairs so she could do dishes later. He hummed and looked at her, “Ready to start learning?” She nodded and laughed. “Always.”

He stood up and stretched, looking far younger than she thought and taller than he appeared, at least 6’3” and had broad shoulders when he wasn’t hunched over the desk. “Alright so first the books are usually divided by subject and author, usually there’s an indicator on the cover that shows the price for the book, the rarer books are in the back rooms, books in a variety of subjects like potions, defense, transfiguration, etc. Only certain people are allowed in the back, they have to be vetted by me before hand, and I have to go in the back with them. The door is warded so anyone trying to leave with a book that they haven’t paid for, will be compelled to confess their sins and frozen in place depending on the severity. You can adjust book prices out here if you feel like someone deserves a lower or higher price and I’ll back you up on it. Blame it on the catalogue if you need to or my orders. I have a few customers who have to pay higher for whatever book and their names will glow on their account if that’s the case. There’s only 5 wizards and witches who have an ongoing tab here. Only I can approve tabs and they have to prove they have funds exceeding 10,000 galleons before I let them have a tab, and they have to approve me getting a notification if their account goes below 5,000 in which we receive payment in full automatically. Tabs never go above 3,000 galleons, which may seem like a good amount, but some of the books out front here cost 2,000. We have a section for Muggle books as well, any and all genres. I’m MuggleBorn which is why I cater to both types of books here. Any questions so far?” He looked at her expectantly.

“How do we come by new books?” He smiled, showing he was pleased with the question. “Either people bring us books to be bought and then sold, or we go out looking, either for a special request or to find more books for the shop in general. When someone brings a book in to sell, we have a few spells to determine the age as well as any special qualities or flaws it has that the owner has hidden or doesn’t know about, you’re approved to buy books for up to 1,000 galleons a book, 3,000 max without my approval. Sellers either take a bank draft, or they can apply it to a tab or add it to an account. We do have a section on the Dark Arts, however that’s not for normal perusal and someone has the agree to an oath to never use the magic against us and have a chat over tea with me before they even see the door.” 

Hermione nodded and thought for a second, “What are the hours of the store and what shifts do you want me to work?” He thought for a second. “Honestly I’m open any and all hours, I close for sleep but if you’re up at 2am and want to open the shop, feel free to, the shops warded against those wanting to rob or do us harm, and you’ll be safe here. I noticed you felt the wards?” Hermione looked at him, and smiled slightly, “I can usually feel the intent on wards and have a really good understanding of what a wards true purpose is underneath that. And I can generally sense the layers in a ward scheme.” Zachariah laughed and she looked startled. “Oh you are a wonder, that’s a rare talent, and if the Goblins find out they’ll be trying to steal you from me to be a curse breaker. This is going to be fun. I noticed you tied a few of your wards into my own. Do you understand how difficult that is for people?” She shook her head at him and looked confused as she thought. “It’s always been instinctive for me, and quite easy for me to dismantle other people’s wards and get in, with a spell or without.” He hummed while thinking. “Alright I’m going to get you a few books of mine on warding, and on runes, and then you’ll sit yourself in that chat behind mine and read while I deal with customers. Your first job is to work on an improvement on my store wards, I want details in two days, you’ll spend mornings working on learning customers names and faces, and afternoons on wards and runes. And if you’re up late not sleeping, no opening the shop until you’re more situated here, at least a week. Got it?” Hermione grinned, and sat in the chair he had indicated after grabbing some parchment and ink, and pulling a quill out of her bag. She carried her bag everywhere, even though it had been a few years since the war. Zachariah smiled and went to one of the back rooms, there was at least 6 from what she could tell, and she wasn’t sure what they were all for. 

He returned with 5 books, “The Practical Guide to Warding” which made her grimace, she owned it and it was rather lacking. Looking at her reaction he laughed and shook his head, banishing it. The next 4 were more appealing, and she hadnt read them as they were rare. There was “Runes, Abstract or Archaic?”, the title of this one was misleading, on purpose of course. “The Key to Runes, 2nd Edition” a rather in-depth explanation of the different possible meanings of each rune in different languages, easily one of the biggest books. “Warding, Wands, and Wardstones, the Guide to a Secure Spot” which was about different ways to build your own ward schemes, a hard to come by book as most were owned by old Pureblood Families. And the final book was easily the one she was practically salivating over. “Ritual Wars and Blood Wards, the Do’s and Don’ts, 2nd Edition”. She reached her hands out and started to do the “gimme motion” as she bounced on the edge of her seat. “I’ve looked almost everywhere for those, I can’t believe you have them! And I get to read them!” She looked up at him with surprise and awe in her features, almost a kind of reverence. “You can borrow these for the forseeable future but they aren’t to leave the building. You can take them upstairs with you, they’re my personal copies.” Right after he set them down beside her, she shot up and hugged him. “Thank you thank you so much for this opportunity here to work here, live here, research here!” He chuckles and patted her on the back. “I’m just glad I have someone to share the knowledge with who has a thirst for knowledge similar to mine.” 

“You won’t regret this!” She sat down in her chair and pulled the “Key to Runes” book out first and settled into her seat with the book and her papers, and as the hours went by he answered basic questions about his wards, but left the majority to her to figure out on her own. When the clock struck 8, he turned to her. “Alright, time to close up shop, I’ll explain more about how payments go, and how we handle money tomorrow, so grab the books and head upstairs, I’ll lock everything down. Just so you know, until you’re cleared to open on your own, you can only floo or apparate out in the hallway by the stairs in front of your door, and only you can. If you want to have guests, you have to side along them or they have to come during businesss hours and go in through the front. Got it?” She nodded and gathered everything up. “I’ll see you tomorrow, what time do we open?” He hummed, “Come down about 8?” As she walked to the stairs, she agreed and wished him a good night. After getting back upstairs she made a few more sandwiches for dinner and read the first book until 10, when she charmed the dishes to wash and brushed her teeth and fell asleep, only to be whisked away to dreams of before the war, and then nightmares of the war, waking up suddenly she looked at her watch and sighed, it was 4am. “Might as well get up” she groaned.

———————————

Charlie groan when he woke up, for a second he thought Hermione was next to him but then he remembered the past few days, and the fact he had gone on a bender when he realized she had left, and where he was. After getting up, he shuffled into the main house and started cooking breakfast even though it was barely 6am. He sat down with tea and just looked at it like he had suddenly gained the Sight and it was talking to him. That’s how Harry found him an hour later. He sighed and sat down across from him. 

“Charlie, maybe it’s for the best she left, she had given up trying to convince you to tell everyone, and had started to withdraw into herself. She didn’t think you actually wanted a relationship like you said you did. At first she agreed, wanting to make sure it was real and give you two time before you had to face the music, and your mother. But after months of hotel meetings and stealing away after parties, she got tired of being a secret. How do you think she felt?” Charlie looked at Harry, and shook his head. “It made sense at first, I agree, I just I just don’t know why I never wanted to tell anyone, hell I wanted to ask her to marry me, but I just couldn’t break the bubble, it was just us, and us was all that mattered when we were together, I didn’t want that to change, and I knew it would, especially after we told mum. I just don’t know what to do with myself now. I know I need to go back home to Romania but I can’t, I can’t even go to the Burrow, mum will read me like a book and have me spilling everything to her.” Harry nodded. “Well it’s Thursday, you have until Wednesday to decide where you’re going, but after that you need to make a decision. Got it?” Charlie nodded and took a sip of his now cold tea and grimaced. “I’ll make some more and warm up breakfast so when Ginny emerges, she has something to attack other than you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The encouragement so far has been amazing and I’m glad you guys are Hermione/Charlie lovers too!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously I don’t make anything from this and I can’t claim anything either it’s al JKR characters and world. Just my spin on it

Chapter 4

Hermione checked the clock again, and saw it was nearly 7 and decided to get ready for the day, taking time to shower and try to tame her curls into a braid. ‘I should get some pins and try and enchant them or scribe Runes onto them to do this for me.’ After applying the glamour, she gathered her things. She went out the door with her notes and books as she wandlessly warded her rooms going down the stairs. “Morning Zachariah.” She called out as she hit the ground floor and went over to her seat. “Good morning Hermione, how was your night?” He asked. Hermione groaned. “Same as it always is. Thankfully I had these books to keep me company.” He nodded thoughtfully and then stood up and gestured her to move her chair beside his. 

“Today we will learn about banking, and I need to add your magical signature to our ledger and register. I have a deposit box that acts as a go between for here and Gringotts so we don’t actually have to keep change and do nightly deposits of the days earnings. First, wand here,” he pointed to the book before of him. After she followed his directions he pointed to a box below the desk. “And there. Now that we’ve done that you’ll be able to process payments. Now any time someone wishes to buy or sell a book, you put your hand on the ledger and either say or think their name. Some clients wish for their names to not be said in the same sentence as the book titles, those who are like that, know to ask. Then you would have them place their hand on the metal plate on the other side of the desk. Even if they say their name and use their wand they must still place their hand on the plate, in case it is an imposter of sorts, it’ll detect their magical signature and that can’t be faked. Once they give you the money for the books you’d then put the money in the box after counting and recording it, and the box will supply the correct change. It can also tell if the money has been tampered with, which would call the Goblins. Now if anyone accuses you of shortchanging them, and that will happen, advise them that the box was enchanted by the Goblins and any complaints must be made to them about any issues with their craftsmanship. Any questions?” Hermione laughed. “Oh do I, however my questions would be for the Goblins I fear, and I know I’ll get no answers from them. I’ve never heard of this system before. I know that in Diagon Alley some shopkeepers accept payment from signet rings but I didn’t think of anything like this would work.” He grinned. “That’s because it was an invention of mine, and they made it for me, and get a small cut of my profits for making it for me for the next 5 years now. We do accept ring payments but mainly British Wizards pay via ring. After processing a payment you hand them the receipt that appears in this book,” he pointed to another to the left side of the desk. “After payment is made, if they wish to browse further they must leave purchases up front, as we try not to advertise how powerful the wards are here, some people would see it as a challenge. Now you may read more until we have a customer, and then you can try accepting payment. Use your intuition and your magic to feel customers out when they come in, to see if they’re the sort to try and cheat you, or if they’re what they pretend to be. Try to see Who they are and What motives they have for coming in. It’s confusing at first but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.” Hermione nodded and grabbed the Runes book again, sitting so she could see the door and kept a tab on the wards that were surrounding and filling the store. She felt them cover the ground underneath as well, and felt a faint calling to her to an area under the stairs that was there and not quite there. She glanced at the area and then looked at her boss and saw him smirking at her, and she quickly went back to her book, not releasing the attention on the wards. 

It took about 30 minutes before a customer wandered in, a man about 6’ with light hair and skin, who had a smile on his face, but it felt like he was surrounded in sadness and darkness. She glanced at him as he went through the shelves to the Muggle fiction books and glanced at him. She looked at Zachariah and motioned like she wished to approach him, getting a nod in agreement she wandered over to the man. “May I help you find something?” She asked, keeping her voice low but friendly. The man glanced at her surprised, and she could see the sadness in his eyes before he hid it, possibly occluding. “Do you by chance have anything on muggle illnesses, chronic or genetic. She hummed, thinking. “If we do they wouldn’t be over here, this is Muggle fiction, our non fiction and medical books are this way, are you looking for a specific type? Or know possible symptoms?” The man followed her as she went to the books she mentioned, he looked hesitant. “It’s for chronic pains behind the eyes, lights flashing almost even when they’re still, and tiny flickering ones on the edge of visions, headache potions won’t work, and they’re like sharp stabs through your skull and the back of your neck. She looked at him surprised, “That sounds like almost a migraine, and those can be completely horrendous at times. I can see why a headache potion wouldn’t work as they’re usually much more intense. And chronic ones can be stress or otherwise influenced, either genetically or because of medication or some other outside factor. Possibly an allergy even. These are the books on the mind here. I do ask, is this for you or someone else?” He looked at her and seemed to see something, and released some tension she hadn’t noticed he held. “It’s for my wife, she’s been having issues for a few months and the healers aren’t sure what’s causing it.”  
“Do you know if she’s suffered from anyone perusing through her mind? Or does she have any other illnesses currently?” He shook his head. “Hmm, have you seen a Mind Healer and had someone scan her mind? Memory charms can sometimes cause issues as well.” He looked at her and smiled gratefully. “We haven’t but I’ll be sure to make an appointment when I get home. I would like to get a few books on it, just in case. I’ll look through these and come up front in a few.” She nodded and reccomended a few books before she went back to the desk, and got a proud look from Zachariah. “Good job, he’s been coming in for a while but wouldn’t tell me why.” She smiled and sat in wait. A few minutes later the young man came up and set the books on the table and one hand on the plate and the other with his wand ready for the ledger, she read the titles and finally learned his name. “The names George Staffenfield ma’am.” She gestured to the ledger and put her hand on it as he places his wand down and said his name back. “The total is 4 Galleons and 3 Knuts.” He handed her 5 Galleons and she followed the earlier directions pulling his change out of the box, “Here’s your change and receipt, and I wish you and your wife luck with figuring things out, I’ll keep an eye out for any potions books that might help as well.” Getting a genuine smile in return George grabbed the books and his wand and left the store, with a bounce in his step that he hadn’t before.

———————————

Charlie sat sat the Kitchen counter and saw Hermione’s owl swoop over to Harry and offer a letter to him, before leaving as soon as it was taken. He wasn’t surprised she had written Harry, but he wished he knew where she was. Harry opened the letter and sat for a few minutes before going to the Floo and leaving, not saying anything to Ginny or Charlie. “I wonder what she wrote to send him off like that.” Ginny muttered. She looked at Charlie and sighed. “I have to go to work today so the day is yours. Remember the rules and just know when he set them up, he set it so if you had anything to drink in the past 12 hours you wouldn’t be allowed in, so don’t do anything stupid.” She got up and grabbed her cloak, before Apparating out of the kitchen. Charlie sat down and breathed, he still felt like he was suffocating, and he didn’t know what to do. Deciding a walk might help he went outside and walked into the garden. The Potter’s has a nice little cottage with a guest house and a guest shack, with the garden surrounding three quarters of the outside and vines crawling up the sides. He walked towards the back fence, about a mile from the back of the shack, trying to clear his head so he could work I’m going home. He knew he fucked up, but without being able to see her again he couldn’t figure out how to try and fix this. He knew he didn’t want to see anyone else, and didn’t want to be with anyone but her. It was a wake up call, but it had come too late for him to do much about it now. He wished he had some sort of idea on where she wanted to go, to explore, but also knew even if he did, she wouldn’t move to any of those places because she knew he’d try and find her. He reached the fence after about 20 minutes of trekking through the woods, and looked up at the sky, which was surprisingly clear, although it was still a dreary day. He started walking back and when he got close to the backyard he heard Harry talking to someone on the Floo. Walking closer he heard her voice and stopped.

“I’m sorry Harry but I can’t tell you where I am, I don’t want anyone showing up and you told me you had Him there, so it’s for the best. I’ll try and keep touch but I have a job here and its everything I’ve ever wanted. I don’t want to leave it I can’t. I just don’t know who I am anymore. I need to figure out who I am, and who I’m going to be before I can possibly have visitors.” He heard Harry groan, “Mione, we were so worried when we got your first letter and then when he showed up, I just can’t handle not knowing where you are.” He heard her sigh and could tell she was smiling as she replied. “You have Ginny you’ll be fine. Now I have to go, I’ve already spent too much time talking, I have research to do, my boss wants an update tomorrow on something he set me to improving. I love you and give Ginny my love as well. Bye” the Floo shut off and Charlie headed back to the shack instead of the house, her voice was so soft when she talked to Harry, and he didn’t realize how much he had missed hearing it until he heard it again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m sure you’ve guessed that ———— means switching people, if you see ~~~~~~~~~ as the divider, it means that it’s a flashback
> 
> Also of course I own nothing, just playing in the Harry Potter sandbox creating a castle, JKR owns this beach

Charlie sat in his room and thought about what he had done, and what he needed to do to get Hermione back. He knew he couldn’t just go on a rebound and take out his frustration and hurt by sleeping with any witch who looked at him twice. They hadn’t been exclusive but he also hadn’t slept with anyone but Hermione in the past few years, he had been in love with her, just too stupid to see it, or say it. He decided to write a letter and see if Harry would give it to her the next time they floo’d.

Dear Hermione,  
I don’t know where to start, but I do know the first thing I should do is apologize for my actions. I know now how much I was hurting you by hiding this, hiding us and I know that knowing this now doesn’t do us any good. So I’m sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you, for hiding us, for not being brave enough to face my mother and tell her about us. I just wish I had known how you felt. Of course it’s stupid of me to think I didn’t. You tried to talk to me about it so many times and I just brushed it off as not being the right time, or had some other excuse. I just liked that no one knew as far as I could tell, and that it was just us. I miss you Milă, I want to fix this but I don’t know how. Please tell me how I can fix this. All I’ve ever wanted in life was someone like you, and I was too stupid too blind to realize I had it until you were gone.

Charlie

Ps. I had gotten this for you a few months ago and was going to give it to you for your birthday, but since I’ll be missing it this year, I want you to have it now.

He looked at the letter and sighed. He stood up and grabbed a box that was in his bag and opened it, looking at the dragon necklace he had gotten her, and smiled, thinking of the time she had visited him in Romania.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Weasley you have a visitor!” His coworker Shawn called out. He popped his head out of the tent and saw her.  
“Hermione!” He shouted, his face lighting up. He ran to her and picked her up in a hug, swinging her around making her laugh and kiss him on the nose when he sat her down. “What are you doing here?” He asked, grinning at her and not letting go of her. Neither of them noticed his coworker walking away, leaving them alone.

“Well I missed you, and had some vacation time saved up, so I thought I’d visit you.” She paused and started to look uncertain. “Was that okay?” He hugged her close to him and buried his face in her hair. “Of course it’s okay Milă, I’m happy you’re here. It’s been months since I saw you.” She laughed, “It’s only been 3 weeks, but the feeling is the same.” He let go of her to look at her, like really look at her. “How long are you here for?” He asked, starting to bounce on the balls of his feet, looking a bit like a giant child.

“Well it’s Sunday today, and I’m here until Friday. So I’m all yours!” She exclaimed, grinning at him. She grabbed his hand and looked at him. “So where am I sleeping?” She asked, looking innocent. “Shawn said if you didn’t have space his bed did.” He fake glared at her and quickly dropped her hand, which got him a pout, until he picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. “Charlie! Stop! I’m too heavy.” She coughed out in between laughter.  
“Psh you don’t even weigh as much as dragon food does, you need to eat more  
Milă.” He carries her into the tent he had been in, which was also his personal tent. It was a smaller version of the tent his father had, two small bedrooms, a living slash kitchen area and bathroom. “Sadly, my spare room is also my library so you’ll have to suffer bunking with me!” He carried her into his room and plunked her down on the bed. She grinned at him mischievously. “Are you sure? I’m not sure I’d rather sleep in here instead of with the books. Care to show me a reason to stay here?” He places his hand against her cheek and smiled gently as she instinctively leaned into it. “I’ll gladly give you a reason or 8 to stay.” He leaned down to kiss her, his hand on her face sliding into her hair to pull her closer to him, and slowly lowered himself on top of her, pushing her down as he went. They snogged for a while, this was still the farthest they had gone, he hadn’t wanted to push her to get into his bed, knowing she was still a virgin. It was one of the first things they had talked about a few months ago when they had started seeing each other. His lips trailing from her lips to her jaw and then her collarbone, nipping and kissing as he went. He loved how much she showed how he affected her, it was heady, and a wonderful sight seeing her with swollen lips and love bites here and there. He groaned when he felt her hands pulling his hair and scratching his back, pulling him closer to her. Sliding a knee in between her legs caused her to moan louder than before and grind against it. They hadn’t gotten farther than tops coming off in the past, but it was worth it to have her. He didn’t mind going slow, not with others in the past, and definitely not with her. He hissed slightly when the hand on his back slipped down and grabbed his hip, pulling him even closer. They continued like this for about half an hour before he pulled back slightly and kissed her nose, which in turn caused her to wrinkle her face at him. 

“Milă was that a good enough reason to stay in here with me?” She nodded at him, smiling brightly, and he almost dove back in to snogging her, with her hair all messy, and lips swollen, she looked good enough to eat. “Now do you want to stay in here all day or do you want to see some dragons? I’m off for the day, so anything you want to do we can. She looked at him slyly, “What if I want you?” He groaned slightly as she tugged on his hair, her hand still holding it. “You can have as much of me as you want tonight Milă.” She smirked at him, “Is that a promise?” He kissed her, and laughed when she pouted at him pulling away. “Of course it is.” He stood up and grabbed her hand to pull her off the bed. “Let’s go see some baby dragons Milă.” The walked out, him tugging her past the library and out of the tent. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That had been the best week of his life, and the week they had taken the next step, spending so much time together that the majority of the other keepers thought she was about to resign her job and sign up to be a Dragon Keeper. They were even more surprised when she wasn’t there the following week, and had teased him mercilessly about silencing charms and him looking lost without her. He sighed and sat down on the bed. They were more right than they knew, and now he had lost her for good.

He gathered up the letter and box, and transfigured a second box for both out of one of his jumpers, knowing if she took it she’d cast a Finite at it first. He went into the house and found Harry sitting in his study. He knocked on the frame and waited. Harry looked up and sighed internally, instead of looking better, Charlie had started to look worse. If it wasn’t for the fact he knew he hadn’t been drinking he would of thought Charlie was still on a bender. “What’s going on?” Charlie sighed and walked in, placing the box on the desk. “I know you talked to Hermione, I caught the tail end of it as I walked towards the house. I wanted to know if you could give this to her the next time you talk. Before you say you don’t have a way to talk to her and don’t know what I’m talking about, because I’m assuming Ginny doesn’t know, I’m not going to ask or tell anyone. Just, give it to her if she’ll take it.” He turned and left the room, going back to the shack to pack up his things. He figured he might as well go back to Romania and try to get his head on straight. Staying here was just making it harder. It was almost dinner time and he was going to go inside when a Patronus from Harry stopped him. “Your mom is here, stay where you are if you don’t want to see her or have her know you’re here.” He resolved himself to waiting until later to get food. Or he could apparate to a muggle store and get something. He decided to just stay in, he didn’t want to go anywhere or risk being seen. 

—————————

Later in the day after helping the only customer, she sat down with her books and continued to read, having made her way through all of them, she looked at intent and protection based wards, as well as possible Runes she could add to the scheme. First she had to see what Runes were on the ward stone, then she’d know what she could add, and should add. She thought about Runes, and wondered if they could be used in an intent based way. She looked at the different Runes that could had different meanings linking towards protection and safe keeping. She found a guardian Rune, and a “Notice me Not” rune that could possibly be incorporated into the ill intent ward, as a protection against those who had ill intent to not even notice the shop. She was so focused on her books and her theories that she was startled when Zachariah put a plate of sandwiches down by her and a pot of tea was sitting on the main desk. “Eat and tell me about your ideas Hera.” She nodded in thanks and picked up a sandwich to eat as she thought.

“First to make any decisions I’d need to see the ward stone to make sure anything I’d like to do would actually work with the current scheme, then I’d like to see if I could possibly tweak the ill intent ward and add a few protection and notice me not runes and spells on it, so that possibly those with ill intent don’t even notice the store, never mind realize there’s an amazing set of wards there to keep them out. It would of course be tailored to those who mean ill to us or the store mainly, as I know we get customers who want books for ill intentions. Then add a failsafe guardian rune to tie into the notice me not, to add power into it being for protection, and possibly add the Gardien du dragon spell, which is one I know from my time spent in Romania.” Her boss cut her off, “Romania? But that’s French.” She mock glared at him. “As I was saying before I was interrupted, the Gardien du dragon spell, which I learned from a French Dragon Keeper in Romania. The basic description is to tie the spell into the wards, and if someone tries to breach it and they aren’t keyed in, they’ll feel like a dragon trampled on them, and end up not being able to move, because it adds in a back up to temporarily petrify the attacker.” Her boss looked at her, and nodded slowly. “Well let’s close up the app and set wards and go see the stone. She waved her hand and the wards slammed shut and there was the one she had from upstairs that slammed down around the building as well. Getting a curious look from her boss she explained. “My wards are intent based and it’s easiest for me to work if I’m surrounded by my wards as well, as I can feel them more clearly than yours. Though they still shout at me. And since they’re intent based, and I was intending to look the wards down, they came down here as well. I’m still tweaking my spell but it works well.” He had gotten up as she talked, facing the desk as he put things away, then whirled around at her. “Are you saying those scary wards up stairs are your spells?” He looked at her in awe. She nodded slowly, and was about to explain but he waved it away. “I made the right decision in hiring you that’s for sure. The tossers won’t know what’s hit them.” This was all muttered and he paused and looked at her, “ You should look into a side business offering wards to people, the businesses around here would definitely pay a pretty Knut to have better wards, that are cheaper than the Goblins, or at least done by a Witch. The racist bastards.” The last part was muttered as they walked to the ward stone. When they got to the doorway she waved at him to stop and let her try. She hadn’t been keyed into these wards, that much she could tell, but she wanted to see if she could get passed them. Understanding her intent he stepped away from them and let her work her magic.

She stepped to the door and murmured a few words as she swayed lightly as though in a trance. She ‘talked’ to wards as it were and twisted the wards around in a manner so that she could open the door and step through. As she did so she stopped in her tracks as a wave of magic hit her and enveloped her. Her hair cracking as it channeled the energy and coiled around her head like her hair were live snakes. She tilted her head and turned and glared at him. “You never told me I’d have to ask them if they wanted new wards. They’re not pleased with you for wanting to change them, especially since they’ve been around longer than you and know what they’re talking about. They listened to what we discussed and agreed, but that’s only because I got through the door without you.” He looked at her, confused. “Who’s they? What are you talking about.” She looked at him and smirked. “They’ve never talked to you have they? Not for lack of trying though. The ward stones you used? They’re ancient. Almost as old as Hogwarts ward stones. They’re basically sentient like the castle. They have an,” she paused, “interesting personality you could say. I like them. They’ve agreed with my changes and asked me to add a bit of magic to them as I do it. If I faint, just let me stay in here, it’ll help me recover. When I push my magic into them it’ll help make them stronger. If you put some of yours in it’ll open you up to talk to them when you’re in here. You could learn a lot. And no, they aren’t dark. They’re lighter than either of us.” She got to work, tracing the runes with her wand held pencil style, going slowly and murmuring as she went, totally entranced in her work. After almost 2 hours she stood up, and started casting. Then sat back down on the ground and touched the stones. She called over her shoulder, “Can you cast a cushioning charm on the ground?” Instead of replying he just cast the charm around her, and waited as she worked on pushing magic into the stones. They were a cluster of crystals, all merged together and coming out of a round slab of Amethyst. After another hour she let go of the stones and slumped to the ground. As she had been communing with the stones, he had felt the magic surrounding him, and then he felt a presence envelope him. ‘Welcome Zachariah. Finally we meet. Let her rest here. She’ll wake before morning and be fine. You may go.’ The voice in his head felt like there was multiple people, things talking at once, like a chorus. He transfigured a chair into a cot and levitated it into the room and placed Hermione on it. Closing the door he felt the wards go up and although he was sure he could get in if needed, he didn’t test it, deciding to just leave the store, and go home. It was already past midnight, and he decided that they were opening late the next day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

 

Hermione woke up in the Ward Stone room, and stretched. She felt like she had been sleeping for a week. She grabbed her wand and did a quick Tempus Charm, seeing that it was only 6am she decided to go upstairs. She saw that there was a letter from Harry when she made it up the stairs.

Dear Hermione,

Hey Floo call me when you get a chance again, we need to chat. 

Love Harry 

She sighed, and looked at the note. ‘It’s 6 am here, and it’s like 13 hours there so it’s like, maybe 5pm? Might as well call now.’

Kneeling down in front of the fireplace she grabbed the Floo powder and called out “Potter Home” looking through she saw Harry walk in right after she Floo’d. “Harry Potter, what’s so important that I had to call a day later?” Watching him jump was very satisfying and had made her smirk at him. He sat on the ground in front of the fireplace after grabbing a box. 

“First things, Charlie’s gone home, he’s not here anymore. Second, I have a box from him for you if, you’ll take it. I made no promises when he left it here. Thirdly, are you ever going to come home?” Hermione looked exasperated, and sighed shaking her head. “I’m not coming home any time soon. Maybe a visit here and there but not for a while, I just started working here and I love it. I love above the shop and I got to actually talk! Yes I mean talk, to the Ward Stones in the shop. They’re almost as old as Hogwarts Ward Stones, and they’re just pure light. It’s amazing here.” Hermione paused, grinning at Harry. 

Harry smirked slightly and looked enthusiastic. “Tell me about work? What do you do? Where do you work, what’s it like?” Hermione laughed. “I work at a book store and my boss wants me to look into selling warding schemes to people. But I might ask to put potions out as well. I have a mastery and I don’t do anything with it. Nice try though Harry. I will say, even though it’s August, it’s quite nice out. Definitely won’t have a white Christmas. And I’m hours ahead.. or is it behind you?” She laughed at the pout Harry had. “Okay Mione two things, one will you take the box?” Hermione nodded and Harry put it through the fire. “Second, can I please call Ginny in?” Hermione paused “one second” she popped out of the fire for a second, and then popped back in. “Go ahead I have time.” Harry called out for Ginny to come to him, and when she walked in and saw Hermione she stopped and glared at her. “What do you think you were doing leaving us? Do you know how worried we were?” 

Hermione smirked at Ginny, “I’m so sorry Molly it won’t happen again.” Ginny looked at her with her jaw dropping. “Oh god I am turning into my mother. Fuck. Okay I’m good I can still cuss.” Hermione laughed at her and sighed. “I have to go, my boss just walked into the shop downstairs, I have to go. Bye you guys.” She waved at then and popped out of the fireplace and back to the shop. She sat and glared at the box. ‘Technically just because I took it doesn’t mean I have to open it. It can wait.’ She thought to herself as she mused about her friends. She didn’t want to leave them in the dark about her new life but she didn’t want Charlie finding her. Or Merlin forbid Molly finding her. She’d never hear the end of it if Molly found out why she left and she knew that Molly would then go to Charlie yelling at him about what had happened and where she found her, and she would have to leave again. No this was better, no one knowing where she was. 

She checked what time it was again and sighed, seeing it was only 6:45, she decided to finish setting up her Potions Lab and maybe start brewing a few things. She missed the calm that came over her when she brewed. After the war, for months everyone thought Severus Snape was dead, but he had been in recovery, healing from the wounds. It had taken about a year and a half. When he came out of hiding she had found him sitting at the willow tree by the lake. He had looked at her and asked her to sit with him for a moment. He told her that he wasn’t a nice person, and that he was hard to be around, but that he wanted her to apprentice under him until she got her Mastery. To this day she was shocked he had asked her to apprentice with him, and that she had actually enjoyed working with him. He had gone off the grid a few months after she completed her Mastery, sending potions ingredients every now and then and sometimes a letter, but other than that she didn’t know where he had gone. She was still an Apprentice when her and Charlie had started seeing each other, and he had become a kind of confidant for her, and had helped put her together a few times before he left when she was upset about Charlie and what had happened. She knew she could send an owl and it would find him. She decided to write to him later that night, and see how he was doing and what had happened to him since they had last talked, a chance meeting in January in Rome. After setting up the Lab she started casting spells to ward the room, provide air flow to make sure no noxious fumes stuck around and set up security precautions so that only she could enter without taking certain wards down. 

It wasn’t until 10 that she felt the wards react and knew her boss finally came in. At 7:30 she had figured he was opening late but wasn’t sure when it would be. She wasn’t cleared to open on her own yet otherwise she would of opened at 8 like normal. She headed downstairs to greet her boss and get ready for the day. Her books on Runes and Wards still down by her chair she settled in and greeted her boss.

“Good morning Zachariah, I feel like I was hit by a bus and then slept for a week after being healed, how are you?” She asked, groaning while stretching out in the chair. “We were up quite late last night and I’m not getting any younger. Now, I have a new task for you, to learn Occlumency. I have secrets here that I don’t need others picking out of your head. I have some books on it that you can have, and then we’ll practice.” She smirked slightly and let him give her the books, and decided she would let him make an attempt before confessing. She looked at him and waited for him to be ready. 

“Legilimens.” He whispered and she felt a presence, trying to get in, but there were so many shelves, made of all kinds of materials, stacked up as high as you could go, never ending, always more behind it, empty books with nothing in them, no paths leading to anywhere, it was isolation. She could tell he was having issues getting out, as shelves had built themselves behind him, surrounding him until he couldn’t move his presence. She pushed him out, and smiled at him. “How did I do?” She watched as her boss started to laugh. “Now where did you learn Occlumency like that missy?” She smiled at him. “I was an apprentice and my Master taught me so that no one could steal His secrets or my own. I have a Mastery in Potions.” She pulled her shirt down a bit so he could see the tattoo below her collarbone and the faint outline of an Ancient Runes Apprenticeship marking as well.

“Do you have a Master for Runes?” She shook her head at his question. “No, he was a Master of Runes as well, picked up in spare time, and was teaching me along side Potions on Occasion, but it wasn’t formal. I eventually wish to get Masteries in Charms, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, and Arithmacy. At the least anyways.” Her boss looked at her shocked. “You’re what, 21? When did you have time to do a Potions Mastery? Those usually take 6 years minimum.” She smirked at him. “My Master was a taskmaster and wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfect. Especially, from me. I retain a lot of information, it was the practical and the Occlumency that took the most time to complete. About 2 years. But I didn’t start the apprenticeship until 2 years after the war. He didn’t approach me until that point once he was healed and the repairs were done. It was a nice two years. I wonder how he’s doing sometimes.” 

Her boss looked at her curiously. “You sure a intriguing one. Well I have a Mastery in Runes, so if you’d like while you work here we can talk about adding in an apprenticeship. Speaking of Potions though. Would you be willing to brew me some pain potions and muscle salve? I’m not getting any younger and the years are making me weary.” Hermione grinned at him and nodded “Yes to both things. I need to get some ingredients and then they should be ready in a day or two. Can I go out to the shops? I want to peruse the Apothecary Shops.” Her boss nodded and toss a purse at her to catch. She looked inside and saw more than enough galleons to get the ingredients. “That’s for your potion making for me. If you’re truly up for it, it would be a regular thing, and that’s to cover ingredients and the cost of the Potions and Salves for a week. Is that enough?” Hermione looked at him confused. “Well yes I’m up to brewing for you, regularly even, it’s relaxing for me. But this, this is too much for just the ingredients for a week?” Zachariah shook his head and smiled. “No it’s not. Now go, get your things and then go on and brew for the day. I have the shop. Don’t forget your glamour though.” 

She shook her head and muttered a curse as she applied the glamour, having forgotten to put it on. After getting her cloak from upstairs and dropping the coin bag in her bottomless purse she headed out to find one of the lesser know Apothecaries around here. It was called “DB Brews” and was know to have good quality supplies and potions. Severus had told her if she was ever in the area to go there over other places. It was a small chain shop that only had one actual location, but many entrances. As she walked she looked for the signs she was told to find, and after almost an hour, finally found the shop entrance. The shop was open, but it still dark. That didn’t surprise her as usually it was best to keep ingredients and potions out of direct sunlight. She walked into the shop and yelled, “What are you doing here!?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo sorry I’ve been really horrible about writing

Chapter 7 

 

She walked into the shop and yelled, “What are you doing here!?” She looked at Neville Longbottom, someone she hadn’t seen in 3 years as he had been abroad studying Herbology. Behind the register though she saw Severus Snape behind a glamour. She had seen his glamour many times and he was the one who had helped her create this look. They were the only two in the store and she stood there in shock looking at them. They were the last two people she would of expected to see here. Logically she knew they weren’t in New Zealand, but it felt like they were all the same. 

“Miss-?” Severus drawled, looking at her expectantly.  
“Uh, ah yes I’m Hera.” She replied, pointedly ignoring Neville and hoping he didn’t look too closely at her. It was the most basic glamour, but it worked because no one would expect it to be her.  
“I’ll be with you in a moment. Go wander the shelves.” She nodded at his comment and walked away from them, not letting Neville catch a glimpse of her face again. She didn’t need him figuring out it was her. That would be a nightmare. He had filled out nicely since she last saw him. He had grown up immensely since they were first years, turning into a tall broad man, with dirty hands and the smell of plants covering him. She sighed, it would be nice to catch up, but she didn’t need him slipping up to someone and finding her.  
She was close enough to hear the tail end of their conversation.

“Was that-?” Neville started to ask, but had paused before finishing it.  
“Well what did she say her name was?” Severus replied, arching an eyebrow. His glamour made him look similar to her, as it tanned his skin slightly and turned his hair a chocolate brown, and his eyes a dark hazel. “I think, that it was Hermione, and I know you know if it was Severus.” Neville replied, not responding to the hidden taunt. “If you value your life,” He paused, ”and this isn’t a threat from me but from her obviously. But if you value it, don’t tell anyone. Not Harry, not Ginny, not Luna. Nobody. Obviously she doesn’t want to be recognized.” Neville sighed and nodded. He knew that Harry had been looking for her for some time, and everyone missed her. He had just missed her by a week or so, her leaving and him returning. “You’re right.” 

Neville grabbed his things and walked over to where Hermione was standing. He tapped her on the shoulder. She startled a bit and turned to face him. “Yes?” She asked, looking at him. She knew he recognized her, but didn’t want to admit it. She watched as Neville conjured a piece of parchment and quill and wrote something down. “Here’s my Floo address and password if you ever want to talk. Your secret is safe with me.” Without waiting for a response he had handed the paper to her and left the store. She noticed that above the door it said the country someone was coming from and muttered a curse. She turned around sheepishly and looked at Severus. Watching as he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose she had to smile, it reminded her of her Apprenticeship and that had a good chunk of fond memories. 

“I mucked it up didn’t I?” She asked, looking at Severus. He groaned and flicked his wand, locking the doors and putting the wards in place. “If you hadn’t said anything he wouldn’t of recognized you. But he is good at keeping a secret. As much as I dislike saying that, it’s true. He’s know it’s me here for about 2 years and told no one.” She sighed in relief and conjured up a chair and sat in it in front of his station. Sinking into it like she would love to be sucked in and never seen again. She looked at him and he could see the tears forming in her eyes.

“You did a good thing leaving when you did. It was only going to cause more pain than it had before. He wasn’t going to grow up until it was too late. You did good.” She sat there as he talked, and took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right, I did good leaving and it’s for the best. Obviously he didn’t want an actual relationship or love me.” Severus startled a bit when she said the last part but she didn’t notice because she had looked back down. “When did he say that to you??” He asked, his tone sharper than he intended. Sighing, she looked at him again. “When I told him we were done and I was leaving him. The first and only time. I flooed Harry and he had heard us. So he gave Harry a gift to give to me the next time we flooed. I haven’t opened it. I might not ever. There’s no point in opening it other than to hurt myself more. Severus nodded and started thinking, they had sunk into comfortable silence when he looked at her sharply.

“Do you need a job? I would be happy to hire you as a Potion Maker. Or the front face.” Hermione shook her head slightly. “While I wouldn’t mind helping out with potions, I found a marvelous job at a book shop. My boss gave me 5 books on Runes and Wards to read and help him improve his wards. He gave me ‘Ritual Wards and Blood Wards, the Do’s and Don’ts’ the 2nd Edition to read, and I got to actually talk with his ward stones! They’re so full of light. They haven’t ever been touched by anything dark. It would of clouded up the stones but they’re clear but full of white light. It was amazing.” She had rambled about her experience for a bit before he snapped his head up about the book title. 

“You got to read ‘Ritual Wards and Blood Wards, the Do’s and Don’ts’?” He exclaimed. “I’ve been trying to get my hands on a copy for years. At least a decade. She looked at him and smirked. “Will the entrance be as hard to find as it was?” He shook his head and sighed. “It won’t hide from you anymore. It’ll be down the closest alley you have to the shop, wherever it is.” She shook her head at him. “I know you saw the country. And will again when I leave. I’ll be back.” She got up, waved her hand and walked through the doors, making him realize she still was able to bypass his wards. She could be a thief if she wanted.

She ran into her shop and looked at her boss. “Serious question. Do you have another copy of Ritual Wards and Blood Wards, the Do’s and Don’ts? Any edition before 5th?” He smiled at her and thought for a second. “Why do you want it?” She grinned. “I know things my old Master doesn’t know and I wanted to get it for him as a gift. He’s been trying for decades to find it.” He nodded. “Well ma’am you’ve come to the right place. One second.” He went to the back and she smirked at the back of her boss. A few minutes later he came back with a wrapped book. “Ritual Wars and Blood Wards, the Do’s and Don’ts, 4th Edition. Anything else?” She shook her head then looked at him again. “Your total is 1G.” She looked at him and opened her mouth to protest but he interrupted her. “Your wards are worth more than this book. So it’s added to your account balance and will be wiped clear on next Friday. Go now.” She thanked him and grabbed the package and ran out the door, finding the store quicker than the last time and burst in through the wards. She put them back up and shoved the package into Severus’s arms. “It’s your open it.” He opened the package and saw the very book she mentioned, when he opened it he saw it was signed by the author, Delilah Delour. Her copy didn’t have the authors name on it, and most places didn’t know the authors name either, it had been mostly lost to time. The book was over 80 years old by name.

“How in the world did you get a copy of this signed by Delilah Delour?” He asked, looking in awe of the book. She looked confused. “Your book has the author name? I could never find their name out. Wait did you say Delilah Delour?” Severus nodded and looked sad. “She died about 15 years back, her husband disappeared since then, no one knows where he is. He had looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I think her husband is my boss. What’s her husbands name?” Severus looked to be in thought for a moment. “It was Zachariah. He was an amazing Alchemist, studied under Flamel himself.” She gasped and sat back in her chair. “That, that’s my boss. And, he was amazed by my wards. I’m going to die.” Severus chuckled at her reaction, and stroked the book lightly. “I’m sure you won’t spontaneously combust but if it happens I’ll try and find your boss and tell him what happened.” Hermione groaned and flipped him off. “No none of that. I haven’t seen you in forever and my tolerance for your wit has apparently dwindled away.” She watched him go into fake theatrics, groaning and clutching his heart. “Oh you wound me, I’m forever heartbroken, I might die!” He exclaimed, causing her to giggle slightly. 

“Now, talk to me, what’s your plan?” He said, she watched him narrow his eyes at her, and sighed at him. “I was tempted to obliviate Neville honestly, I don’t want Charlie getting wind of where I am. Or Harry and the rest of the Weasleys. I need time away from them to figure myself out.” He nodded as a response. “Well you know I’ll keep your secret. If you’d like, and if your boss will permit you to, you’re welcome to brew here once a week and sell your brews. It would help me out, and we could discuss warding. I might be interested in having you ward here, paid of course.” She brightened up a bit, she missed brewing dearly, and to do more warding was a bonus. “I’ll discuss things with him tomorrow and see what he says. I’d love to take your offer.” He nodded and they sat silently for a bit before a ringing sound came into the shop. “That’s your cue to leave and mine to open back up. Come visit me next week.” She nodded and made sure she had everything before leaving, almost forgetting why she came. “Before I leave can I get a few things, I need to make a few potions and salves.” Severus waved her towards the ingredient area. Take what you need free of charge. This book pays for what you need. Even if it was a gift.” She nodded and gathered what she needed before slipping out the door and hurrying back to the shop for the second time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Working two jobs and prepping for Ohayocon!

Charlie had returned to Romania half way through the week long vacation he had taken, he knew Harry didn’t want him at the house and he knew he couldn’t go to the Burrow, so that meant returning early. After a few days one of the other trainers confronted him. “Okay Charlie what’s your deal? You left all happy and excited and now you’re all depressed and half assing it. What happened while you were gone?” Charlie sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Hermione broke up with me. Because of me we kept our relationship a secret and didn’t tell our friends or my family and she ended it out of the blue last week. I.. I don’t blame her, but I wish it didn’t come to this for me to realize I love her.” He looked at his coworker Steven who looked shocked. “First off, you’re telling me your family didn’t even know you were together!? And then second that you guys have been together for like 2 years? And kept this all a secret? Secondly, I’m not surprised she ended it if that was the case, I know many women who wouldn’t even last past 6 months like that. Are you going to try and win her back?” Steven inquired, looking at Charlie with thinly veiled annoyance. He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s kind of hard to when she moved out of the country. I gave Harry a letter and package for me when I stayed at his house. I heard them talking on the Floo and I knew he could get it to her.” He sighed. “I fucked up, majorly, and I don’t know how I’m going to fix this.” He watched as Steven exhaled abruptly and shook his head. “You need to get your head on straight and at least focus on work. I can’t have you here half assing it and basically moping around. You need to pay attention. If you keep at it like this they’ll take you off of the rotation and at the least move you into a low danger area. At the worst they’ll kick you out.” He nodded as he looked down at the ground. “I’m going to do better. I have to do better. I know I can’t risk all of you with my self pity. I know that much. I’m sorry it came to this.” Steven clapped him on the back. “My tents always open if you need to talk, take care of yourself okay?” He nodded and they split paths, Charlie headed to his tent while Steven went towards the mess hall. 

 

———————  
The weeks had passed by, and she had figured out a good system that worked for her, weekends she brewed for Severus, and week days she worked at the book shop. She had caved after two and written Neville to arrange when she could call him to chat. A month before Christmas she called him, it had been the beginning of September when she had seen him last.

She knelt down in front of the fireplace and Floo’d Neville, saying the password so she could get through. She looked around and saw him sitting on the couch reading a book while waiting. “Hey Neville, how’s it going?” She had startled him, as he jumped a little bit. “Oh hey Hermione, it’s going well. The greenhouses are blooming, and Pomona keeps trying to get me to come apprentice under her for my Herbology Master.” He paused and grinned sheepishly. “I haven’t had the heart to tell her I already have mine.” Hermione chuckled. “You know you’re going to break her heart when she finds out at the Potions and Herbology conference this spring. You know when they announce the newest Masters right?” She watched as he groaned and smacked his forehead. “Oh god you’re right, we’ll might as well wait until then anyways. It would be around then that I’d tell her anyways. Now what’s going on with you?” He asked, finally moving to sit in front of the fireplace.

“Ahh well I moved back in August after ending things with Charlie. Did you hear about that part?” She paused as he shook his head. “Okay well I was seeing Charlie, Ginny’s brother, and he had all of these excuses as to why no one could know, and why he didn’t want to tell his family. I told Harry and after almost 2 years I think, as I was still an apprentice when we got together, I finally was done and told him I was breaking up with him, and went and packed everything and told Kingsley and Harry and left. Since then I’ve been working at a bookstore, and now after seeing you and Severus, brewing as well. Not really going anywhere or site seeing. It’s been nice here.” She watched as Neville processed everything she told him, and watched emotions go across his face, from anger to sadness to regret to neutral. “I’m glad things are going well. What are you doing for the holidays?” He asked. She thought for a second. “Probably taking the day and going somewhere with a beach and enjoying the sun. My parents aren’t around anymore and there’s not really anything for me to do here.” He nodded at her answer and then looked awkward. “Would you maybe like to come here for the holidays? It’s only me and Gran and we don’t have guests or go anywhere other than Mungos usually.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry guys! I’ve been so busy working two jobs and traveling!!
> 
> Remember, Harry Potter isn’t mine and I make no money off this

Hermione stared at Neville, though they had become friends, she would of never expected him to invite her over for the holiday. Especially since the Longbottom’s were notoriously antisocial during the holidays. Her thoughts were racing through her mind at a thousand miles per hour with all the things that could go wrong, or right, before Neville took pity on her. “Hermione, it’s okay if you don’t want to. I just would hate to see you alone for the holidays, especially if there was something I could do to help. You don’t have to give me an answer now, just let me know before showing up Christmas Eve okay?” Hermione nodded and then shook her head to clear the thoughts. 

“I’m sorry Neville, I don’t know what came over me. I’m just, not sure how returning would go. I needed to run away without thinking too deeply about it to be able to do it.” Neville smirked at her, and she groaned. “Don’t even think of kidnapping me, my wards and my boss would kick your butt Longbottom.” She watched as he chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Alright fine, I won’t, but just let me know if you’d like to come, it would be nice to see you again. I have some new plants that you might be interested in. And I know Gran would love to see you.” She sighed and nodded. “I’ll let you know after I talk with my boss. I don’t know what the shop plans are for the holidays but when I know I’ll send an owl or Floo you okay?” He nodded at her and she smiled. 

“Now Neville, tell me about how you came to be working with Severus, that’s a story I need to hear.” She said, watching his reaction. She had wanted to find out about that since she had heard they were working together, she knew Severus would never tell her the truth, or would at least avoid the question. She watched as Neville blushed slightly. “Ah, well you see, I found an advertisement for an apothecary seeking a supplier for high quality ingredients and I wanted to start making a living off of my plants, and after sending in a letter a few years ago, after communicating via letter for a few months, I sent in some trial samples and he decided he would meet with me.” He blushed a bit. “I never told anyone but I can tell when someone is wearing a glamour, I get an itch on my neck and almost like feel it? And so I called him out on it,” he rubbed his neck ruefully and smiled at the memory, “I never would of done that if I had realized it was him, but it worked out in my favor and i have been supplying him since. For potions and for basic ingredients for those who make their own.” 

Hermione started to giggle, she never would of thought back at Hogwarts of Neville ever being confident enough to call out a stranger, and then not die of embarrassment when it turned out to be Severus. She glanced at him as she giggled and saw him mock glaring at her. “You’re lucky you’re out of the country Hermione, or you’d be getting poked for laughing at me.” He said with fake seriousness, she could see the smile in his eyes as they crinkled slightly. She was surprised to see how attractive she found him, but she nevertheless tried to hide it. “Oh no, not being poked! What ever would I do,” she replied sarcastically, then stuck her tongue at him. “I’ve missed talking with you Neville, I’m glad I saw you at Severus’s shop. Talking with you helps a lot.” She watched as he blushed slightly, and he smiled at her again. “I’m glad you let me in. I wouldn’t want you to ever feel like you can’t talk to me. You were my first friend.” 

Hermione smiled softly at that. She remembered him being the first person she sat with on the train, and how they found his toad together. He was someone she had always had a fondness for in some way, but had never really looked into it because she noticed he had a crush on Ginny and Luna during school. Thinking of Luna she pulled herself out of her memory. “Hey Neville. I have a sensitive question.” He nodded and gestured for her to continue. “Whatever happened between you and Luna? I’m sorry for asking but all I know is that you broke off your engagement a year and a half ago.” She looked at him cautiously and was surprised at the look of resignation in his eyes. He sighed and looked down at his hands. “It’s a long story, but what I feel comfortable saying right now is that we we weren’t in the same place and both wanted things the other couldn’t or wouldn’t help with. If we had stayed together we would of crashed and burned and it would of destroyed a lot of friendships.” Looking at the sadness she could see, all she wanted to do was hug him, which surprised her, she rarely wanted to touch anyone anymore, since the war, the only people she let touch her was Charlie, Ginny, and Harry. Ron wasn’t allowed to touch her, not since he had grabbed her when she had a panic attack. 

“I’m sorry I asked Neville, I let my curiosity get the better of me.” He shook his head at her and smiled, “Don’t apologize, you have no need to, I would of told you that at some point, maybe some other time I’ll tell you more.” She smiled at him and nodded. They continued to talk for almost another hour before she had to go.

“Hey I have to go, I’m needed at the shop. I’ll talk to you later?” She asked, getting a grin from him. “You better.” He replied, before she pulled her head out of the Floo. When she stood up and checked the clock, she saw they had been talking for almost 3 hours. ‘Merlin no wonder I hurt so much.’ She thought to herself before making some tea to take down for her and Zachariah. She wandered downstairs after it was ready and saw him already sitting down at the register.

“Good morning!” She called out to him while heading towards him. She handed him a cup of tea and put the tray down between them. He nodded in thanks to her as he made sure everything was ready for the day. It was a relatively slow day, with only a few customers coming through the shop, and none of them needing any help with finding the right books. 

After they closed up shop, she turned to her boss. “Hey, what are the shops plans for the holidays? Are we open or do we close up?” Zachariah smiled at her. “This year we’ll be closed from the 20th until January 3rd because I have some leads on a few books and I’m going to take the holidays to chase them down. You’re free to do what you’d like until the 2nd, but I’ll need some cataloging help before we open up on the first. Normally I’d offer to bring you with but I know that look in your eye, you have something you’d like to do.” She blushed and shook her head. “Perceptive as always. Usually I’d jump at the chance to go with you, but I would like to visit a friend and spend some time with Severus this year. Maybe the next book hunt I can come with?” When she got a nod in response she hugged him goodbye and headed up the stairs, walking through her wards and feeling the warmth that went through her and down her spine. 

She flopped on her couch and tried to figure out what she wanted to do. She wanted to go visit Neville, and it would be great to snag a chance to drop Harry and Ginny’s presents off with them. She decided to just makeup her mind and go for the holidays and before she could stop herself she was in front of the fireplace. Doing the math it was about 8am there so likely he’d be awake. Before she could convince herself this was a bad idea, she had already kneeled down and called out the address and password. She waited for a few minutes for it to be accepted, and when it was she was surprised to see Augusta Longbottom sitting in the chair. 

“Why hello dear, it’s been a long time since we’ve chatted hasn’t it?” Hermione smiled at her and nodded, not many people had known that she had a weekly tea invite to gossip about the Ministry with her. It had been a highlight of her week. Augusta was one of the few people who had known about Charlie, and had been slowly trying to convince her to end it, as she could tell it wasn’t healthy. “I can honestly say I’ve missed our weekly tea’s.” She watched her nod and smile knowingly. “Now, what can I do for you? It is surprising to see you calling at this time of day.” Hermione blushed and smiled at her. 

“I had wanted to get ahold of Neville, before I lost my nerve.” Augusta smiled wickedly at her. “I hope it’s an acceptance to Christmas here with us. I’ll send an elf to fetch him. Pepper!” She called out, and with a pop an elf wearing a tiny dress was there. “Yes Mistress?” The elf asked, curtsying slightly, causing Augusta to sigh. “I don’t require curtsy’s Pepper you know this. I need you to fetch Neville here, say I asked for him.” Pepper nodded and popped out. 

“So Augusta, did he ever find out about our weekly meetings?” She asked, looking at her slyly. Augusta laughed, “Merlin no, though I’m looking forward to your visit so I can see his face.” Hermione chuckled in agreement. As far as most people knew, they only saw each other when the Wizengamot was in full swing, as Hermione was usually with Ginny and Harry there. After a few minutes of chatting, Neville walked in, looking every inch a Herbologist, with dirt everywhere including his face. “Grandmother you asked for me?” Hermione smirked as she nodded. “You have a visitor.” She rose up and left the room, leaving Neville to look around confused until he saw Hermione in the Floo.

“Hermione! What’s going on? I’m surprised to hear from you so soon.” She was surprised to see how his face lit up when he saw her, and the smile that stretched across his face would of made her knees a little weak if she had been standing. She smiled at him. “Well I said I’d tell you when I found out the shops plans for the holidays. My boss is going on a hunt for books, and so we’ll be closed the 20th through the 3rd, though I need to be back at least the 2nd to help catalog. So,” she paused for a second, gathering up that Gryffindor courage, “yes, my answer is yes.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember I don’t own this!
> 
> Let me know what you think!?

Hermione sat in the Floo looking at Neville after she told him she’d visit for the holidays, her heart ached a bit when she saw how just agreeing to visit made him so happy. Neville whooped, and grinned st her. “I’m so glad you’ll be visiting, when do you want to arrive?” Hermione smiled at him.

“I think I’ll visit the 21st- the 2nd if that’s okay? I would like to see Severus at some point during the holidays, and since you can’t hide that you’re now friends you’ll have to come with me.” Nevile smiled at her and nodded vigorously. “That seems like a small thing to agree to, especially since I’ll get to spend the holidays with you. Check with him on when we should visit, and let him know he’s welcome over any time for a visit. I think he’ll actually visit if it’s you who invites him. I’ve been trying since our partnership started and he won’t bite.” Hermione grinned at him.

“I’ll invite him but no promises. Now I have to go, but owl me the details for our plans. If it’s okay I’ll just Floo over for the holidays. Is your Floo set up for international trips, or is it only calls?” Neville smiled back. “It’s set up for both, so you can just Floo in directly here. Let me know what time you plan to arrive and I’ll be here for you. I’m excited! I’m going to make a few plans.” Hermione smiled back and then her smile fell a bit.

“What’s wrong Hermione?” He asked her, it was obvious something was on her mind. “Would you be willing to see Harry and Ginny while I’m there? Maybe make a plan for dinner with them as just you then last minute ask if you can bring someone with you? Without telling them it’ll be me.” She watched Neville as he thought about it. He came to a decision quickly and nodded. “Harry invited me over for the 23rd for dinner but I hadn’t accepted yet, I’ll accept and then ask when you get here if I can bring a guest. Let me know if you change your mind and I’ll come up with an explanation as to why I can’t go though, don’t do anything you don’t want to do.” Hermione smiled at him gratefully and nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate it. I’ll let you know when I’ll be here and then we can figure out a plan for the rest of the holidays.” Neville nodded and they exchanged their goodbyes before she ended the Floo call. Now she had to make some plans. She needed to drop potions off tomorrow anyways so she figured it would be a good time to guilt Severus into visiting for Christmas. 

She headed to bed with her mind full of thoughts about the holidays, and fell asleep quite quickly. She woke up when her alarm sounded, showing it was 7am. ‘Off to the shop now, I need to take the potions to Severus and guilt him before the shop opens at 9.’ She was still surprised he opened so late, but after years of having to work long hours and be up before dawn she knew he deserved rest. She got ready quickly before heading towards the shop. She waltzed into the shop at 7:50, and could hear him in the back.

“I brought potions! I have all but the Draught of Living Death done, it’ll be finished by tomorrow morning.” She called out to him, as she put the potions in stock and set the specialty potions off to the side. While she was doing that he had walked out to the front. “Hermione it’s good to see you.” He said stiffly. He had always been rather stiff and formal with her, even when consoling her, though he had warmed up to her towards the end. They had had a long talk about their relationship and had come to the fact that they saw each other similarly, him being a father figure to her and her being like a daughter to him. Not many people knew this, and in private she often called him dad. 

“Hey dad, I’ve missed you.” She walked over and hugged him, he still didn’t like much contact, but she had his permission to hug him whenever she wanted, though she tried to refrain from hugging him too much. She stepped away from the hug and looked up at him slyly. “So I have to ask, what are your plans for the Christmas holidays?” He sighed at her and pinched his nose. “Brewing while the shop is closed and filling owl orders. Why?” He asked, obviously seeing through her. She grinned at him. “Well I want to spend Christmas Eve with you if possible, and if not then I want to spend the 26th with you. I’m spending the holidays with Neville actually, and he told me to say you’re invited over and that you have to come visit.” 

She watched as he obviously had some sort of internal debate with himself before he sighed in defeat. “If I must, then I will. The 26th would be best for a visit though, will you be visiting for a meal or for the day?” Hermione smiled widely at him. “For the day if we can, though we could come just after lunch and stay until dinner. I’ll cook for you, like I used to. I’ve missed our Christmas’s the past few years.” He nodded in agreement. “Alright, now do you have to work at the shop today or are you free to help out here.” Hermione smiled at the change in subject and thought to herself. “It’s a Saturday so I’m free to help here. I’ll take over the front if you’d like and let you relax in the back with the loves of your life.” She smirked cheekily at him. He swatted at her arm and pushed her towards the front desk.

“Thank Merlin, I’ve had one woman come in three days in a row who has been trying to flirt with me to get a better price on a specialty potion. I’ve been tempted to ban her from the store. Now sit there like a good child and I’ll open the store at 9. You know the rules. If she comes in, you’ll know who she is, she’ll be obviously disappointed that I’m not here and she has black hair and blue eyes, and you’ll be able to read her mind like a book, she has no shields and broadcasts her thoughts to anyone who has even the smallest talent. I’m not here and you’d don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Hermione thought for a second and smirked. “Want me to age my glamour and claim to be your wife?” She watched her fathers face blank out for a second before his hand creeped towards his nose again. “No just claim to be my daughter who’s taking over for an extended period of time. The price on her potion is 300G and before you ask it’s because she wants the Abomination Draught, which as I’m sure you remember, causes someone to hate something or someone with all their being, and although not illegal, a horrid potion. And she would need to supply her own ingredients, and sign a contract regarding it, as I won’t catch the fall for making it. She also must pay upfront for it. Those stipulations are why she insists on coming in repeatedly.” Hermione frowned at the thought of that potion. It was a potion that had caused wars in the past. How it wasn’t illegal she didn’t know. It was illegal to buy specific ingredients in it, though owning them wasn’t, and neither was making it, though selling it was tricky.

“I got it. Go to the back, I have a book to read on spell theory that is fascinating.” He left in a swirl of robes and she settled into place. While reading the store had opened and she had had only a few customers before the lady he had spoken of walked in. He had been correct regarding the lady’s mind, and she could almost feel her emotions like they were her own. There was anger and fear, as well as distain and disappointment. The lady wandered around the store for around 10 minutes before coming over to the desk.

“Hello is the owner available? We’ve been negotiating the price of a potion I’d like him to brew.” Hermione smiled politely at her. “I’m sorry, my father has been called away on a family emergency and won’t be back for some time. I’m helping out here until then.” As soon as she had said that the lady’s emotions flew into a whirlwind leaving the woman looking panicky and stressed. The waves coming off her were intense and she was already getting a headache from her. “Are you approved for negotiations then? I need this potion as soon as possible.” Hermione sighed internally, she really didn’t want to deal with her.

“It depends on the potion and how soon you need it. Of course other than that there are the general stipulations of a contract being drawn up by the bank and it being paid for ahead of time. What potion were you looking to have brewed?” She watched as the lady looked flustered. “I need the Abomination Draught made but I don’t have the time to wait for a contract to be made or the money ahead of time.” Hermione sighed visibly this time.  
“Ma’am if you don’t have the time to wait for a contract then you wouldn’t have the time for the potion to be made. It isn’t a premade potion, and takes around a week to brew, a contract takes a day to set up, and the money upfront is non negotiable for any specialty potions.” She watched as the lady deflated a bit and she could feel the irritation coming off of her.

“Listen here Miss. We’ve been Negotiating for days now. He was close to agreeing to my terms and I won’t have you changing everything on me. Now I need that potion and I won’t leave without it.” Hermione smirked at her and felt a wave of fear roll off of her. “Now ma’am, as much as I would like to believe you, I don’t. So if you’re going to insist on staying here I’ll kick you out and ban you from the store. I have my fathers approval to ban people and you won’t even remember the name of I do. So are you going to leave the store in peace, or are you going to argue with me regarding store policies?” She asked, all the while maintaining a polite facade with the woman. She could feel anger growing in the lady and silently and wandlessly traced a runic array on the desk, to reflect anything that might be cast back.

“You’ll regret this! You have my word!” The lady screeched, before pointing her wand at her. She sighed at the lady. “Alright the hard way, so be it. I hope this was worth getting banned from the store.” She stunned her and took the location from her. Anyone who was a potential purchaser signed an agreement that if they broke the rules and were banned, they forfeited the knowledge and no one could tell them about the shop. She accessed the door portal and sent her out the door while reviving her at the same time. Muttering to herself she sighed. “I have no patience for dunderheads.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my characters, since I work two jobs obvi I don’t own Harry Potter

The days passed by and Christmas had snuck up on her. She had already gotten presents for everyone taken care of, so it was one less thing for her to worry about. She still was anxious about returning to Britain, even if no one knew she was there for the most part. After packing up her things the night before, she had fallen into a restless sleep. 

She had talked to Neville and decided to arrive late afternoon his time, early morning her time. Waking up she felt groggy and like she hadn’t slept at all.  
Taking a deep breath before the Floo, she tried to calm herself, as panicking wouldn’t help her at all. As the clock chimed 7am she threw the Floo Powder into the fireplace and stepped in shouting Longbottom Hall, and the password to be able to Floo in. What felt like an eternity passed, though it was really only about 2 minutes she stepped from the Floo to the Parlor of Longbottom Hall. 

“Hermione! Welcome to Longbottom Hall, I’m glad you could make it!” Neville exclaimed, shooting out of the chair he had been relaxing in, and striding over to her. He held his arms out for a hug and she stepped into the embrace. 

After a moment they stepped back from each other and she smiled up at him. “Thank you for having me, it will be nice to spend time with you and your grandmother for the holidays.” He grinned back at her.

“We have a room set up for you down the hall from our rooms so we’re near by if you need anything. If you leave your bags here, one of the elves will bring it to your room. We’re having a late lunch in one of the other Parlors since Grandmother figured you wouldn’t eat before arriving.” 

Hermione chuckled, “She knows me so well.” She muttered. Causing him to do a small double take, and then nod in surprise. “Shall we milady?” He asked, adopting a faux snobbish tone and offering his arm to her. This had the effect he wanted as she burst into laughter and took his arm. “We shall good sir!” She responded, grinning up at him with amusement shining in her eyes.

They left the entrance Parlor and walked through the Hall, and he pointed out things of interest as they walked. After a few minutes they arrived. “After you.” He gestured, and she led the way into the room. Augusta was sitting down in an arm chair next to the window when they entered the room. It was about the size of her parents living room with shelves covering half of the far wall, and a window across the other half. There was a small table and chairs near where she was sitting. Noticing them enter Augusta stood.

“Hermione, it’s so good to see you, we have so much to catch up on. You wouldn’t believe what the Ministry is trying to do now.” Hermione laughed in response and met her in the middle of the room, and causing Neville to start in astonishment, as she hugged her tightly. “Oh no, what have they done now Augusta? You must catch me up on things, I’ve been so out of the loop since I left.” Augusta had noticed Neville’s reaction and cackled. “Oh do be a dear Neville and close your mouth, wouldn’t do for any flies to wander in.” 

Hermione turned in time to see him shut his mouth. He turned to her slowly. “Hermione? Are you.. are you friends with my Grandmother?” She grinned at him. “We used to meet at least weekly if not more to gossip about the Ministry and other things. It helped out a lot when it came to staying ahead of those dunderheads.”

Augusta laughed again. “It’s always nice to stick it to those fools. Who thought that any of them could properly run a household never mind a Government.” She gestured to the table. “Please ignore my grandsons manners, and take a seat would you?” Hermione grinned back at her and nodded, leading the way to the table, knowing from her lessons with Augusta, she waited for her to sit before following in response. Neville came over a few seconds later and sat with them. 

“Now Hermione dear, please tell my why my contacts haven’t heard of a new potions master making waves across the way?” Smirking at Augusta she responded. “Because I’m not working under my own name, and when I do sell potions it’s not under any name other than the stores name. Potion master goes missing? How best to find them than the gossip filled halls of the different Ministries when you go to register for a shop that doesn’t have an independence license.” 

Augusta nodded at her and smirked. “Smart girl, I know a few people who have been looking for you using that method and they’ve found nothing. Good on you for giving them the slip. I do need to warn you about this New Years.”

She looked at her curiously, and tilted her head. “What do you need to warn me about?” 

“We’ve been invited to the Ministry’s New Years Eve ball. It’s a masquerade ball, and I’ve put you down as Neville’s plus one.”

Neville gasped and then glared at his Grandmother. “Why didn’t you tell me about this? You knew I didn’t want to go, and told me not to worry about it. I haven’t gone to a single one, why would I go now.”

Hermione responded before Augusta could. “The first thing I need to know is did you put me down by name or just replied that he would have a guest.” 

Looking affronted Augusta replies. “I already knew how you felt about people knowing you were in the country so of course I didn’t put you down by name, I don’t need to have Neville being upset with me regarding you fleeing if they knew you were in the country. I’m not a dunderhead Hermione.” 

Hermione huffed at her in response. “If you had asked me I would of considered it. I don’t like balls, you know this.”

Augusta countered with, “But I know you like dancing, and since it’s a masquerade you won’t have to show your face and glamours will be the norm, so you can have a glamour on under your mask as a backup if anyone accuses you of anything.”

Hermione glanced at Neville and saw him looking at her with something akin to awe and surprised mixed in. “Neville? Would you like to say something? This does involve you as well.” It wasn’t noticed by either of them, but Augusta has smiled in approval toward her when she included her grandson in the conversation.

Looking surprised at her he sighed. “I really don’t want to go, but Grandmother has basically beaten it into me that if you accept an invitation, unless you’re dying or ill, you have to go. And since I trusted her to respond for me, I have to go. However you don’t if you don’t want to.”

Hermione groaned when he said his last comment and glared at him. “Now I definitely have to go since you said that. If you hadn’t I could of wiggled it out, but no! You had to be all gracious regarding this.” She pouted at him after laying on the sarcasm.

Augusta started laughing at the two of them. “Well, I’m glad that’s settled. I have a few dresses picked out for you and a few masks that work well together. Once you pick a theme, Neville’s will be easy.”

Hermione smirked at Neville causing him to frown at her. “Hermione I don’t trust that look in your eyes.”

Hermione’s smirk grew even more. “Good. Now, Augusta do you have any that wouldn’t clash that could be more Herbology themed? Since my date is a rather renowned Herbologist in his own right, I think it’s only fair we pay tribute to that.” 

Augusta grinned again and nodded. “I have the perfect costume for both of you. I’ll have yours fitted to you two days before the ball by one of the elves.”

Both of them ignored Neville’s blush and groaning as he sunk into his chair and started muttering. “Of course they would be friends. The Gods are conspiring against me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo soooo sorry for the wait! My other story will be updated soon

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!


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